A vast amount of communication is being carried out by utilizing a variety of communication networks including a computer network. These communications are carried out in a variety of forms including electronic mail, electronic bulletin boards, chatting in chat system, interaction in chat rooms of a chat system, assignment or exchange of static or moving images, assignment or exchange of items for a game, and so forth. In these communications, a plurality of symbols are transmitted either uni- or bi-directionally.
Conventionally, it has been difficult to conduct post hoc analysis of the meaning of the symbols used in such communication. This makes it difficult to conduct a post hoc analysis as for what kind of communication is actually carried out in each place of communication. Therefore, an arrangement is widely adopted in which, with respect to a place of communication, the title of an electronic mail or an electronic bulletin board is given, or the title is given by means of a variety of directory services, to thereby set in advance the meaning of a group of symbols used therein or to thereby set the information concerning what kind of communication takes place therein.
However, as the meanings of symbols may gradually change as people proceed with the communication, the actual meanings of the symbols used in communications cannot be understood without post hoc analysis. In particular, as changing of the meanings of the symbols used in a network community is significant, an arrangement for enabling post hoc analysis of the meanings of the symbols used in communications being exchanged in a network community is significantly meaningful.
The present invention has been conceived in view of the above. One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a symbol analyzing device capable of post hoc analysis of the meanings of the symbols used in communications, a symbol analyzing method, and an information storage medium
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for analyzing, based on the analyzed meanings of the symbols, the trend of each communication. In that case, each communication may be a new communication which is different from the communication which is used in the analysis of the meanings of the symbols.